Envelope-folding device



Feb. 5, 1929., 1,700,737

M. DUNNl-:Blr-:R

ENVELOPE FOLDING DEVICE Filed April 6, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ilafenad rsh. s, 1929. UNITED s -MAX PAPEBZCOEPANY, QF KANSAS nm'mnnma, or Nauwnrn-oN-rnn-nnmn, GERMANY,

crm, mssonnr, A conPonA'rIoN or mrssounx.

nNvnLoPn-ronnme nevica.

Applicaties mea Apr'u e, 1927. semi-'n0'. 181,468. r

This invention ielates to. folding devices used inconnection with envelope machines and more.particularlyk y apparatus suchas is used for folding t e en flaps ofv an envelope. v Y j It is a purpose of the `invention to provide new and improved means for' folding the end iiaps of envelopes, comprising rotatable members which supplant the. reciprocating lo means previously employed. It is particularly desirable to eliminate the reciprocating means to reduce vibration in the'machine and to reduce the wear and tear on the same; A

More particularly it is a purpose 'ofmy linvention to employ rotating-disc-like members co-operating 'with stationary straight edged membersjto fold. over the end flapsy of said envelopes, hus simplifying the con-` struction Vof machines of this' character and reducing the number of moving parts thereof.

' vention will appear as the description vof the accompanyingA drawings proceeds. However, I desire to have it distinctly understood that I domot intend to limit myself to the exact details shown .or described, but that I intend to include'v as part of my invention all l such obvious changes and modifications of 'fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a portion of saidmachine showing my improved folding device.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective v1ew of one of the folding mechanisms showing the upper disc engagmg with the flap.

' Fig-4 is asimilar view showing the lower disc-folding the flap to final position.

Referring in detail tothe drawings, my improved end Hap folding mechanism is shown as being applied to an envelope machine having a framework provided wlth the side members 10 and a transversely extending member 11 which may be secured tothe framework in an desired manner as'by means of the vertically extending members 12. Mounted for rotation in any suitable manner in the framework are the feed rollers Other objects and-advantages of theV 1n- `13 and 14, said rollers being mounted respec-- the folding mechanism, a guide member 19 tively upon the shafts 15 and l The feed-l rollers are adapted to feed the envelope blanks "P17 whlch have the end aps 18 thereon toward 2.0. The'longitudinallyextending gui es 20 are .provided with upturned end-portions 21 and are mounted upon the lower endsof rodllke'members 22 which are adjustably mounted 1n the lateral extensions 23 onthe adjustable bracket vmembers 24, said adjustable bracket members being` mounted for trans# verse adjustment on the machine on' the transverse member 11. The adjusting means forthe rods 22 comprises theknurled nuts 25 screw-threadedlyengaging with the screwthreaded portions 26 of the rods 22`;and are held in` adjusted position by means of the vknurledlock nuts 27. 'I he bracket members 24 areprovlded with 'cap members 28 secured thereto in any suitable mannerfas by means of members 29 and are held in adjusted osition on the transversely extending mem er 1l by means ofthe headed set screws 30 which have transversely extending bars 31 mounted therein to facilitate the turning thereof. Mounted in spaced relation to the feed rollers 13 and 1 4 is a lower feed and guide roller 32 and upper ressure'rollers 33 'Ihe roller 32 is mounte on a shaft 34 which is journalled in' the machine framework and is driven in any desired manner from'the main drive shaft ofthe machine while the rollers 33 are mounted on a shaft 35 providedon swinging movement on a `the lower end of an arm' 36, said arm 36 beving mounted for stationary transversely extending shaft 37 The shaft 37 also has mounted thereon in fixed position a curved finger 38 between which and the arm 36 a compression spring 39 is mounted,'saidl compression spring causm the rollers 33 to be yieldingly moved towar the roller 32. Mounted between certain of the rollers 33 on the arm 36 is the guide member. 40 which co-operates with the uide mem ber 19 in directing the envelope lanks into engagement, with the guide member v2O and into engagement with the roller members ,32 and33. There is a guide member 20 at each side'of the machine and the adjoining edges 41 of the members 20 are thicker than the remote ed es 42 thereof, said remote edges thin folding being beve ed `S`o as to provide a edge for the flaps 18.

Cofoperating with the members 2lto move the flaps 18 into a position substantially per--A pendicular to the body portion of the blanks l17 are the reciprocable folding members 43,

said members being ymounted on u wardly extending arms 44 on the shaft 45 being held y.

in fixed position on said shaft by means of -the set screws 46. The shaft 45 is mounted on arms 47 `which oscillate to give an arcuate reciprocating movement or oscillating movef ment to the members 43, said members 43 bemembers are moved upwardly, the aps 18 of the envelopes will be bent around the tapered edges 42'of the-guide members 20 and will be substantially perpendicular to 'the body portions thereof when they reach the position shown in Fig. 1. After the blanks' leave the members 43 .the same pass between the rollers 32 and 33 and are fed by said rollers to the rotatable folding mechanism.

Said rotatable foldingmechanism is driven by means Aof the transversely extending shaft 49 which is mounted in the bearings 50 vproing members 51 provided on the standards 52 which are provided with feet 53 secured to theside frame members 10 in any suitable manner as by means of the securing 'members 54.` The shaft 49 isdriven in any suitable manner as by .means ofthe chain 55 operating over the sprocket wheel 56 mounted in fixed position' on theshaft 49 and overthe sprocket wheel 57 mounted in fixed position on the shaft 34.

Each of the cap members 28 of the brackets I 24 is provided with a downwardly and forwardly extending bracket portion 5 8 and each of said bracket members 58 is provided with a bearing member 59 at the free end .thereof in each of which a vertically extending shaft `60 is rotatably mounted.' Each of the' shafts 60 is rotated by means of ,a spiral gear 61 keyed thereto which meshes with a spiral gear 62 keyed on the shaft 49. Thegears' 61 are provided with downwardly extending sleeve portions 63 which engaewiththe upper surface of bearing mem ers 59 and said bearing members are provided with downwardly extending reduced.v portions 64 'upon which the bracket member 65 is secured, said bracket member 65 being held in fixed `position thereon by means of the-set screw 66. Mounted on each of the shafts60 to rotate therewith, said shafts rotating in opposite directions, as will be obvious from Fig. 1, are a pair of spaced disc-like'folding members 67 and 68, the members 67 and 68 being each provided with hub portions 69 by means vof which the sainev are secured in adjusted position on the shafts 60 upon which the same are mounted, the same being held in adjusted position by the set screws 70. 'Each l,openings 71 and 74.

of ,the discs 67' is @videdA with nur awt-y dially extending edges 72 and 73, the edges v7 3 serving as folding edges and each lcooerating with tliejthinned ed e 420i. the a joining guide member20 to end the flap'18' engagingv therewith'into a position so that ithe'same extends at an obliqueangle ,to the -away portion 74 which -is of greater. extent than the portion 71,thus providing a greater angle betweenA the 'edges 7 5- and 7 6provided on the disc-like member'68 due to the cut 18 to pass into the spaces provided by the the. flap 1 8 subsequent to the engagement of Athe edge`73 Withthe flap 18y and completes vided in the cap members 28 and inthe bearthefolding ofthe flap 18 around the thinned edge 42 of the member 20.` Thus the rotatable disclike members 68 rotating in opposite directions at opposite sides of the-blank, fold the aps 1'8 toward cach other substantially in parallelism to the body` portion of the 'blank17. y. rl`he member 68 is located closely adyacent to the member 20 at each side of the machine to thus fold the'ap 18 firmly against the on the opposite side of the rotatable folding .members 67 and' 68 therefrom are the rotatable rollers 77 and 78,by means ofwhich the The edge 76', however, lies in such4 a position-that it' engages with portion 71 provi ing the Vsubstantially ra'- .away portions7 4. The edges 72 and475 are arranged s o that they coincide substantially" 4in a vertical direction to provide for-the iap blanks are engagedv to movethe same away from the folding mechanism.- Inorder to guide the blanks with the end aps Vin folded condition', toward the rollers-77 and 78, the guide members 79 are provided. Said guide members 79 are rectangular plate-like members having upturned curved corner portions 8O on the nearA sidesthereof, said members being preferably beveled 0E on the sides thereof toward the rollers as indicated at 81,

and the guides 2() extending under said guides 79. The guide members 79 are adjustably mounted on the machine by means'of the'rod'- like members 82 extending upwardly therefrom, which engage between the clamping arms 83 extending outwardly from the bracket 65, said arms being provided with partially circular grooves 84 for receiving the member 82 and with -aclamping member 85 the same toward the body portion of an envelope. v

2. In an envelope machine, a folding mechanism comprising a pair of rotatable disclike members mounted in superposed relation, said disc-like members having cut away portions providing edges successively engag` 'ng with a flap to fold the same toward the body portion of an envelope.

3. In an envelope machine, means for conveylng an envelope blank, means engageable with the blank for upending a flap, and members rotatable on a common axis, successively engaging the upended flap to fold the Hap.

4. In an envelope machine, a table, means for moving an envelope blank along the table, a reciprocating member engageable with the blank to bend a flap thereon, and members rotatable in planes parallel with the table sucessively engageable with the flap to fold. the

5. In an envelope machine, means for c onveying an envelope blank, means engageable with the blank to bend aflap thereon, and a rotatable member having a recess into which the flap is projected, and a blade portion at the edge of the recess engageable with the flap to fold the Hap.

6. In an envelope machine, means for conveying an envelope blank, means engageable with the blank to bend a iap thereon, and members rotatable on a common axis having surfaces of different angularity successively engaging the flap to fold the flap.

7. In an envelope machine, means for conveying an envelope blank, means engageable with the blank to bend a flap thereon, and a plurality of disks rotatable on a common axis provided with recesses for receiving the flap and having offset rear edge portions for successivelyfengaging the flap to fold the flap.

8. In an envelope machine, a horizontal table, means for moving an envelope blank along the table, a stationary folding guide, a reciprocable member for bending the blank over the guide to form a flap, and spaced members rotatable on an axis perpendicular to the table, successively engaging the flap to fold the Hap. v

9. In an envelope machine, a horizontal `table, means for moving an envelope blank along the table, a stationary folding. guide, a reciprocable member for bending the blank over the guide to form a flap, spaced members rotatable an on axis perpendicular to the table, successively engaging the flap to fold the flap, and means suspending said folding members above the table.

10. In an envelope machine, a horizontal table, a guide suspended over the table, means for moving an envelope blank between the guide and table, a vertically reciprocable member engageable with the blank from beneath to bend a flap over the edge of the guide, means suspending a shaft over the table, means for rotatin the shaft, spaced members fixed on the shat having blade portions of different angularity successively engageable with-the flap to fold the flap.

11. In an envelope machine, a horizontal table, a guide suspended over the t-able, means for moving an envelope blank between the guide and table, a vertically reci rocable member engageable with the blank rom beneath to bend a iap over the edge of. the guide, means suspending a shaft over the table, means for rotating the shaft, spaced members fixed on the shaft having blade portions of different angularity successively engageable with the Hap to fold the flap, a bracket on said shaft, and a guide on said shaft engageable with the flap to press the iap to the body of the blank.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

. MAX DUNNEBIER. 

